Introduction

Gunter Podola
was the last person executed in this country for the murder of a policeman.
Such a crime was a capital offence under The Homicide Act 1957. During
the period 1900 and 1975, 33 men serving with London's Metropolitan Police
were murdered on duty.

Gunter Fritz
Erwin Podola was born on 8 February 1929 in the Templehof area of Berlin.
His Mother, Elizabeth, died in Berlin on 12 February 1955 at the age of
62. His Father, a barber by trade, was killed fighting with the German
army on the Russian Front during World War Two. Podola grew up in the
working class district around Alexander Square, Berlin. Although he was
too young to fight in the war, Podola was known to be a fanatical member
of the Hitler Youth movement.

Podola's
Life in Canada

On 17 June
1952, Podola applied at The Allied Travel Office in West Berlin to travel
to Canada. After obtaining his Canadian Immigrants Visa on 4 July
1952, Podola arrives at Halifax, Canada, on 14 August 1952.

August
to October 1952

Podola
worked as a general labourer at the Mount Gabriel Club, Quebec.

October
1952 to May 1953

Farm
labourer for Mr. McArthur Kelly, Huntingdon, Quebec.

May
to July 1953

Auto
Mechanic with Messrs. Budd & Dyer, Montreal.

July
to October 1953

Shipping
Labourer with St. Lawrence Warehouse, Montreal.

October
1953 to May 1954

Welder
with Canadair, Montreal.

May
to October 1954

Delivery
man with Messrs. Photographs Ltd, Montreal.

October
1954 to March 1956

Shipper
with Messrs. Segals Regd, Montreal.

March
to June 1956

Shipper
with Messrs. Molly Clare Lingerie, Montreal.

June
to October 1956

Shipper
with Messrs, Popular Gowns, Montreal.

Podola was
sentenced to 10 days imprisonment. following a conviction for theft
by house-breaking in Montreal on 1 March 1957. This was quickly followed
by a conviction on 26 March 1957 at Montreal, for 11 counts of theft &
house-breaking. On this occasion Podola was sentenced to 2 years
imprisonment. On 25 July 1958, Podola was released from prison and deported
back to West Germany.

Podola arrives
in England

On 4 August
1958, Podola arrives back in West Germany. He lives in Gerlingen and Stuggart
working as an unskilled labourer.

On 21 May
1959, Podola flies from Dusseldorf to London Airport. He spends his time
unemployed, staying in various hotels in the Kensington area of London.

On 13 July
1959, Podola was in a telephone box by South Kensington Tube Station,
attempting to blackmail a Mrs. Schiffman. She had already warned the police
about Podolas previous blackmail attempts. Detective Sergeants Purdy
and Sandford went to the phone box and arrested Podola. As they were walking
to the police car, Podola escaped and ran into the hall of a block of
flats in Onslow Square, Kensington, where he was re-captured. Detective
Sergeant Sandford went to get the Police Car, leaving Detective Sergeant
Purdy guarding Podola in the hall of the flats. While Detective Sergeant
Purdy was distracted, Podola pulled out an automatic pistol and shot Purdy
in the heart. Detective Sergeant Purdy, aged 43, died almost immediately,
and Podola escaped.

On 16 July
1959, after several enquires in the Kensington area, Police were led to
a hotel in Queens Gate, South Kensington. The Police charged into
Podolas room, were there was a scuffle, during which Podola was
knocked over. After being arrested, Podola was taken to Chelsea Police
Station. At the Police Station, Podola seemed to be shocked and appeared
to be fainting. He was then taken under guard to St. Stephens Hospital,
Fulham Road. The automatic pistol which killed Purdy was found in the
hotels attic.

Podolas
trial commences

At the Central
Criminal Court, London, on 18 July 1959, the trail of Podola for the capital
murder of Detective Sergeant Purdy took place before Mr. Justice Edmund
Davies, with the Prosecution led by Mr Maxwell Turner and Podola represented
by Mr Frederick Lawton.

The defence
attempted to prove that the defendant was not fit to plead, through his
loss of memory of events prior to the 13th caused by the scuffle during
his arrest. If the jury decided that Podolas loss of memory was
genuine, then the judge would rule on whether the loss of memory constituted
being unfit to plead. After 3½ hours, the jury decided that the loss of
memory was faked.

The next
day, 19 July 1959, Podolas trial began before the same judge, but
a fresh jury. Podolas counsel stated that he been unable to get
any instructions from his client. So he confined himself to testing the
prosecutions evidence. He suggested that the automatic pistol had
gone off accidentally as Podola handed the gun to Purdy. Mr. Nickolls
of the Metropolitan Police Forensic Laboratory gave evidence which eliminated
this theory.

In his evidence
from the dock, Podola stated that he could make no defence as he could
not remember the alleged crime itself or the circumstances leading up
to it. After an absence of just 35 minutes, the jury found Podola guilty
of capital murder, and Mr. Justice Edmund Davies sentenced Podola to death.

Appeal and
Execution

Although
Podola did not appeal his conviction, the Home Secretary referred the
case to the Court of Criminal Appeal under section 19(a) of the Criminal
Appeal Act 1907 for consideration of the question whether the onus of
proof of unfitness (or fitness) to plead rests on the prosecution or defence.

On 15 October
1959, The Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed the appeal, reserving its
judgement for a later date. Podolas request for an Attorney-Generals
Fiat was rejected.

The Home
Secretary then established a Medical Committee, which consisted of
Drs.
Snell, Mather and Pearce, to examine Podolas mental condition. They
reported unanimously that Podolas amnesia had been faked, and
theyhad no medial recommendation to make.

Podola then
claimed that his memory had recovered and that he had been house-breaking
at the time of the murder. He also claimed that he had a "double"
called Bob Levine. This was investigated by the police, but they did not
find any such character, neither here nor in Canada.

On 20 October
1959, the Court of Criminal Appeal announces its judgement in the Podola
Case. It basically states that Podolas trail was fair and just.

On the 2
November 1959, The Home Secretary then decided that the law should take
its course.

On 5 November
1959, Podola was hanged at Wandsworth Prison. Later that day, after the
Inquest, Podola was buried in the prison graveyard (grave 59).